The Cape: a magnificent place

We started the new year at Miller'spoint in a wonderful "batch" in the company of some great South African friends: The DuToit family (now living in Noosa, Australia) and Paul and Janet Keet. We celebrated with an exceptional lunar eclipse combined with a "blue moon" (2nd full moon in a month). We slept on the balcony with the sound of the thrashing waves below.

We linked up with visiting SA friends from NZ (Tony and Cath Page) for a morning jog to Smitswinkel Beach and an invigorating swim. We were stopped by baboons on the way back! (see picture below)

We spent New Year's day visiting Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. Cape Point is actually not the southern-most point of Africa as one might think but it is Cape Agulhas which is 100km due East of Cape town. We escaped the tourist crowd by walking between Cape of Good Hope and Cape point, stopping in between on a rugged white sand beach full of blue bottles.

Cape Point was busy but spectacular. On the west side is the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean and on the east the warm(er) Indian Ocean.

Driving back to Cape Town along the coast we saw breath taking deserted beaches with beautiful white sand, with some locals braving the massive waves with kite and wind surfers. We took the dramatic drive through Chapmans Peak to Hout Bay.

Cape Town has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world with the 1000 metre high Table Mountain just above. We did a walk up Lions head from where we could see the whole city, the mountain and the beaches. We had great views of the new football world cup stadium.

The walk up Lions head is steep with chains and ladders to negotiate but wow,what a view. Margot and Zara loved the rock clambering.

During our time in Cape Town, we have felt reasonably safe. We have been on fantastic MTB rides in the Tokai forest and Helderberg range near Somerset West. But the security systems when entering a house never cease to amaze me with high electric gates, electric wires, metal bars on windows and complex alarm systems. You also have to drive past Khayelitsha (township of over 1million people) on the way to the airport to see that the majority of the population still live in very basic accommodation. The townships are colourful but look desperate.

Below is the scene on 2nd of January at Muizenberg beach, once a white-only beach but now packed with people. In the photo, you can just spot Sandy and the girls boogy boarding.

We have now collected a 4x4 Nissan Pathfinder from Stephen, a SA doctor heading back to Australia. Sandy has been struggling through all the paperwork and admin to open bank account, insurance... etc. I see why people stay put in one place and especially in one country. But it's so worth it. There is something very exciting about being in Africa. It's vibrant, alive, beautiful and chaotic.

We have started packing for the next part of our journey: Cape Town to Pietermariztburg. We hope to get there by 25th January, taking the coastal route though the Garden route, Transkei and Natal.